Energy Poor Communities benefit from Safe Solar Lights Donations
Elizabeth Namayanja is a 64 year old resident of Buwembo village in Bukomansimbi district.
Elizabeth used to live with her 5 grand children. However she lost one of the children, a four year old grandson last year in April in a fire accident caused by a lighting open frame kerosene lamp.
She recalls that fateful evening at around 8pm as she was with her grand children and noticed that they had forgotten to fetch the goats from where they were grazing….she then immediately rushed to bring the goats while leaving her grand children inside the house with a lighting Tadooba.
Tadooba in Luganda dialect means a lamp using kerosene.
The grazing ground was a few kilometers from home. She overheard as she was on her way back from the grazing field people crying for help in a distance and she swiftly walked home. At home there was a crowd of people surrounding her home and crying. Her home had caught fire and people were trying to stop the fire to save the children. Unfortunately by the time they got to the children the 4 year old had gotten severely burned and suffocated due to the too much smoke fumes and passed on.
The other four children survived with burn injuries and she stays with them. Through LET THERE BE LIGHT INTERNATIONAL a US. based charity Elizabeth received a donation of a pico solar light to use for lighting.
At the present Elizabeth and her grand children feel safer having to live without worries that the past disastrous event will happen again.
Elizabeth also states that she is saving 9,000 UGX every month and she spends the saving on other basic needs and school fees. She also says her grand children will be able to do revision at night with a safe and clean light and improve their academics and will not contract infection from inhaling carbon emission from the Tadooba.
It is well known that women usually bear the burden of energy poverty due to their low income earning and with many of them unemployed.
I am very fortunate to be working with a project aimed at addressing energy poverty in Uganda.
Caroline Mwebaza
LTBLI-KACCAD Outreach Educationist Assistant
jollycaroline3@gmail.com
https://www.lettherebelightinternational.org/
LTBLI-KACCAD Outreach Educationist Assistant
jollycaroline3@gmail.com